Recipe: Lemon Chicken Ballotine with Ricotta and Fennel Confit

The somewhat fancy name for this ballotine of chicken is deceiving. This is a straightforward way to stuff thin chicken breasts and cook them while leaving the meat still moist - often a problem in oven-roasted recipes. Here the breasts don't go in the oven. They're pounded thin, stuffed with fennel confit, and lightly braised in white wine. This leaves them moist and tender - it also leaves your oven off, in this hot weather.

Place the chicken fillets between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten with a mallet or a heavy frying pan until they are about 1/4 inch thick. Season lightly with salt and pepper and a little olive oil or the leftover, strained lemon oil from Fennel, Lemon and Garlic Confit. Refrigerate overnight or for a few hours.

Mix the ricotta with the confit. Spread a quarter on each fillet and roll tightly. Seal with toothpicks.

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat with the butter and any more oil strained off the chicken. Sear the chicken rolls, flipping with tongs, for about two minutes or until dark golden on each side. Pour in the white wine and turn the heat down to low. Cover and simmer for about twenty minutes or until they are done.